Introduction

In his guide to the Pennine Way the writer
and
fellwalker Alfred Wainwright comments: "A true Pennine Way would lie
along
the full length of the Pennine Range and would have been better suited
to the name had it been confined between these extremities, taking in
the
lovely Derbyshire Dales and ending with the minor foothills east of
Carlisle...
Better that the Pennine Way had been given the glorious entry to the
hills
provided by charming Dovedale as its starting point".

It was this statement, born of
Wainwright's
desire for geographical exactitude, that inspired me to work out a
route
that would extend the Pennine Way southwards as far as the jaws of
Dovedale.
It took but two or three hours with a map to work out a theoretical
route,
and my subsequent exploration of the area has led me to keep every step
of that route intact. This is an area of great scenic interest - it
lies,
after all, wholly within the Peak District National Park - and is well
served by walking routes. So much so, in fact, that many official and
semi-official
long distance paths already exist. Several times I found waymarks,
direction
posts and information boards telling me that I was following the
Limestone
Way, the Monsal Trail or the White Peak Walk. For this reason you are
encouraged,
more so than usual, to seek out alternatives that might better suit
your
own interests or whims. There are, for example, several disused railway
tracks that are eminently suitable for walking.

The White Peak is so called, and
differentiated
from the Dark Peak immediately to the north, on account of its geology.
Limestone predominates, giving rise to some delightful country of
shallow
gorges, isolated steep hillocks, moorland plateaux and lush grasslands
and meadows. We start at the village of Ilam, not much over a mile from
the southern end of Dovedale; it's a convenient statring point, being
the
nearest habitation and also the site of a youth hostel, though the town
of Ashbourne is less than four miles away for those who feel like a
longer
walk. You cross the stepping stones to the east (Derbyshire) bank of
the
Dove; the river itself forms the county boundary with Staffordshire.
Dovedale
is something of a tourist honeypot, graded and paved for the infirm and
those with pushchairs; it tends, unfortnately, to attract rather too
many
of the sort of people that shouldn't be allowed out until they've
learned
both manners and common sense. Avoid the place at weekends and on
public
holidays, or you'll spend the first two and a half hours trying to
shake
off the crowds of noisy, ill-behaved day trippers.

"Tourist" Dovedale runs as far north as
the
National Trust hamlet of Milldale, passing rock formations named by
someone
whose imagination obviously far exceeded his love of good scenery -
Tissington
Spires, Lovers' Leap, Twelve Apostles, and the inevitable Jacob's
Ladder.
The more open aspect and lack of tarmac north of Milldale make the
second
half of Dovedale more palatable. Four miles further on is Hartington,
another
tourist honeypot beloved of coach parties.; however, another youth
hostel
and several good public transport links makes Hartington a natural
place
to end the first day's walk.

From Hartington the route leaves the Dove
valley to the east and climbs gradually to the flat, grassy plateau of
pastureland that is Hartington Moor. The route turns sharp right for
Vincent
House and then Moscar Farm, crossing the busy A515 Buxton to Ashbourne
road before merging with the lane into Monyash. Another path heads
smartly
north and then northeast across a succession of pastures, eventually
descending
through Deepdale to reach a confluence of limestone dales just
eastwards
of Taddington.

The limestone dale scenery continues for
some
miles now, as the route makes use of a succession of them to push
northwestwards.
You cross the A6 trunk road (Derby-Bakewell-Buxton-Manchester) to
follow
the delightfully wooded Monsal Dale as far as the railway viaduct at
Monsal
Head, then turn left to follow the valley of the Wye, using either the
riverside path or the trackbed of the old railway. This is the Monsal
Trail.
It comes out in Litton Mill and neighbouring Millers Dale, another good
public transport link, while Ravens Tor youth hostel is nearby. A
further
succession of limestone dales pushes northwestwards, following the
course
of a dry valley; Monks Dale is followed by Peter Dale, Hay Dale and Dam
Dale, the path emerging at the lonely upland hamlet of Peak Forest on
the
A623 Chesterfield-New Mills road. From here you turn northeast again,
following
Oxlow Rake up to the wide open expanses of Old Moor, with the gritstone
edges and peat moors of the Dark Peak filling the skyline ahead. If you
follow the map carefully you'll find the slight pathless depression
that
leads into the spectacular Cave Dale, which will deposit you quite
suddenly
into the centre of the village of Castleton at the foot of Peveril
castle.
Castleton, enclosed by hills on three sides, is a caving centre and has
no less than four show caves open to the public. The route takes in
each
of these in turn; Peak Cavern, directly below the castle and reached by
a charming riverside path from the village; Speedwell, reached along a
lane to the west at the foot of the spectacular Winnat's Pass; Treak
Cliff,
reached along a track above the disused A625 road, and finally Blue
John,
standing beside the other end of this severed road immediately below
the
bulk of Mam Tor.

Mam Tor, at 1695 ft, is a worthwhile
climb.
The direct route up the southern spur is officially discouraged but it
far preferable to the official route, a "granny" path of fenced
flagstones
leading up the ridge from a car park half a mile to the west. The
summit
is a favourite spot for hang-gliders and affords a superb view across
the
Hope valley to the bulk of Kinder Scout to the north. Look carefully
and
you'll spot the line of the Pennine Way snaking into the hills from its
base in Edale, just below.

Follow the ridge route (more flagstones)
to
the col at Hollins Cross, then turn sharp left for the local footpath
down
into Edale. If time permits by all means follow the ridge as far as
Lose
Hill before returning to Hollins Cross.

Logistics

The route could conceivably be done in two
days
but you'd really be pushing it and would miss savouring all the good
bits.
If you want to take in all the sights such as Castleton's show caves
and
the spur walk to Lose Hill, allow four days. The route is eminently
suitable
for backpackers but think of youth hostels or B&B's rather than
tents.
The area is lived-in and farmed - there is very little rough pasture
and
opportunities for wild camping are very limited. There are too few
official
campsites close to the route. If you prefer to walk with just a day
pack
then base yourself in a nearby town - the elegant spa town of Buxton is
the obvious choice, as public transport links are excellent.
Multiple-hop
transport links make the walk viable as a series of day trips from many
nearby cities such as Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds.